Interactive television program guide with passive content

Abstract

A hybrid passive-interactive program guide is generated by combining the features of an interactive program guide with the passive video portion of a passive program guide. The interactive guide may replace passive listings with interactive listings, replace passive features with interactive features, provide supplemental advertisements, or replace passive tagging information with interactive tagging information. Users may be provided with an opportunity to purchase a program or product being advertised, to view listings for segments aired in the video portion of the passive guide, to schedule reminders for listings or video segments that are displayed by the passive guide, or to schedule video segments and related information for recording.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method for generating a hybrid passive-interactive media guide, comprising:
 storing, on user equipment, a passive media guide including media asset identifiers and passive guide characteristics associated with the media asset identifiers in the passive media guide; 
 generating for display the stored passive media guide on the user equipment; 
 generating for display an interactive media guide that is implemented on the user equipment, wherein the interactive media guide overlays at least a portion of the media asset identifiers included in the passive media guide with interactive components that provide interactive features and information related to the media asset identifiers in the stored passive media guide based on stored passive guide characteristics associated with the media asset identifiers in the passive media guide. 
 
     
     
       2. The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein storing the passive media guide comprises storing an entire passive guide display. 
     
     
       3. The method defined in  claim 1 , wherein storing the passive media guide comprises storing only a video display area of the entire passive guide display. 
     
     
       4. A hybrid passive-interactive media guide, comprising control circuitry configured to:
 store, on user equipment, a passive media guide including media asset identifiers and passive guide characteristics associated with the media asset identifiers in the passive media guide; 
 generate for display the stored passive media guide on the user equipment; 
 generate for display an interactive media guide that is implemented on the user equipment, wherein the interactive media guide overlays at least a portion of the media asset identifiers included in the passive media guide with interactive components that provide interactive features and information related to the media asset identifiers in the stored passive media guide based on stored passive guide characteristics associated with the media asset identifiers in the passive media guide. 
 
     
     
       5. The system defined in  claim 4 , wherein the control circuitry configured to store the passive media guide comprises the control circuitry configured to store an entire passive guide display. 
     
     
       6. The system defined in  claim 4 , wherein the control circuitry configured to store the passive media guide comprises the control circuitry configured to store only a video display area of the entire passive guide display.